lucky bandit | RVA based lifestyle blog: beauty
Showing posts with label beauty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beauty. Show all posts

Saturday, May 21, 2016

empties #2

The second round of empties! There weren't quite as many this month, but I manage to finish up a few things I've been trying to get out of my way.

empties post lucky bandit blog

Maybelline  Great Lash Mascara in Blackest Black // I think almost everyone has had a tube of this at some point. It does the job, but isn't cruelty free so I won't be repurchasing.

up & up Wet Cleansing Towelettes // This is the last of the clearance stash of these guys. Like I said before, I won't be repurchasing these because they're not cruelty free.

Mary Kay Time Wise Matte-Wear Liquid Foundation in Beige 3 // When I was in a wedding two years ago, we had a Mary Kay lady do our makeup. She did a phenomenal job, so a few months later I picked up the foundation at a MK party I was invited to. This is that foundation. Now, though, it's too dark for me and it's time has come. Mary Kay sells in China so they're not cruelty free, so unfortunately I won't be repurchasing.

Herbal Essences Body Wash in Body Burst // This was a sample I got in the mail ages ago and I've just finished it. While it was a decent body wash, Herbal Essences isn't cruelty free, so I won't be getting a full size!

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation in Ivory // I LOVE the way this foundation blends when you first put it on. However, I've had it a while and it's started to cake as the day goes by so I think it's past it's prime. Another brand that isn't cruelty free, so I'll have to stick with my e.l.f. foundation.

Funky Fingers polish in Confetti // It's gotten gloopy. I wasn't a fan of how hard it was to apply. I won't be repurchasing.

Edge Extra Moisturizing Shave Gel // It's shave gel. It did it's job. I didn't see how it was "extra moisturizing", but it was okay. I'm eager to switch to a natural shaving cream once I go through my coupon stockpile, so I won't be getting this again.

Andalou Naturals Leave-In Conditioner // cruelty free & vegan // I absolutely love this conditioner. It smoothes frizz and leaves your hair feeling better overall. It has argan oil and the first ingredient isn't water like most conditioners. This is the second bottle I've been through and I am definitely going to purchase this again.

Send me your recs and links to what you've finished this month! ♥

Friday, May 06, 2016

ulta birthday haul!

ulta haul beauty lucky bandit blog katelyn carter

For my birthday I received all kinds of glorious things (including a pair of Ray-Bans!) and an Ulta giftcard. Well, while out in Tennessee my mom wanted to go by Ulta, so I picked up some things I'd been wanting for a while.

Pacifica Cactus Water Micellar Cleansing Tonic // I've been wanting to try a micellar cleanser for forever and though the Garnier version is super popular on the beauty blogs, it's not cruelty free. However, Pacifica's is both cruelty free AND vegan! I kept looking at this every time I'd go in Ulta but never made the leap - until now!

The Body Shop Blemish Fade Night Lotion // This was, admittedly, an impluse buy. I have trouble with dark spots from blemishes on my face, I've heard good things about The Body Shop's Tea Tree line, so I'm hoping this works as promised.

Nip + Fab Viper Venom Micro Blur Fix // I've already opened this and used it and I love it so far. I can see a difference already in oil control and it's tacky enough to use as a primer to keep foundation in place.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Pencil in Whiskey // My current eyeliner is on it's last leg so I decided to splurge a bit and grab this pencil from Urban Decay. I was swatching all over the place trying to find a dark brown color that I liked and I settled on Whiskey.

Real Techniques Brushes - Lash/Brow Groomer and Expert Face Brush // The lash brush purchase stemmed from my horrid application of mascara that morning and resulting in appearing to only have five extra large eyelashes on my right eye. It was great. Since the Real Technique brushes were buy one, get one 50% off, I picked up the Expert Face Brush since I've been looking to try out different kinds to apply foundation. I've tried it and so far it is fabulous.

What's the last thing you got at Ulta? ♥

Thursday, April 21, 2016

empties - #1

Since my obsession with beauty products was sparked about a year ago, I've gone crazy with buying things. Now I've got quite the stockpile and I'm trying to use them up! I've fallen in love with empties posts, so I thought as I used my own products up I'd document them.

I do want to say that I'm still using a lot of products from when I couponed, so many of these in the beginning may not be cruelty free or vegan. I wasn't buying exclusively cruelty free and vegan then, but I don't want to waste items I spent money on. They'll be noted that I won't purchase them again! As always, I'm human and may have missed an ingredient or misread a label, so always do your own research to determine if something is cruelty free or vegan. ♥

empties lucky bandit blog katelyn carter

e.l.f. Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloths // cruelty free & vegan // I use makeup remover wipes to get the bulk of the product off my face before I use my Clarisonic. These wipes were very wet - I know that sounds stupid - and I always felt like I needed to wash my hands afterward. Sometimes the wipe would be so saturated that the liquid would squeeze out into my eye. It didn't burn, but was irritating that it happened. They removed eye makeup pretty well and even with the great price point of $3, I won't be getting these again.

Up & Up Wet Cleansing Towelettes // I picked these up on clearance, as the sticker says. These are paraben free, but the Up & Up brand isn't cruelty free. I won't be purchasing these again.

Fantasy Makers by Wet N Wild Lipstick in Deep Purple // cruelty free // I was Beetlejuice for Halloween and I had picked this lipstick up at Target in the hopes that it was a darker purple. It didn't cover well and didn't work for what I wanted. I've no use for it, so I'm tossing it.

Living Proof No Frizz Conditioner // cruelty free & vegan //A friend gave me a few sample sizes of Living Proof items a while back and I'm just going through them. This conditioner worked really well to keep frizz down. I would purchase this again.

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Nail Polish in Slick Slate // cruelty free // This is one of my absolute favorite nail polish colors, but it got gloopy and it's time for it to go. According to their website, Sally Hansen doesn't test on animals, which may be a new development as I thought they did. Upon further research, I would purchase this again.

Crest 3D White Toothpaste in Radiant Mint // Little travel toothpaste I picked up when I taking a trip out to my mom's. I didn't notice any difference in the color of my teeth. I've since switched to natural toothpaste, so I won't be repurchasing.

Sally Hansen Hard as Nails in Hard to Get // cruelty free // This was a cheap coupon purchase forever ago. I don't think I ever even used it, but it's gotten gloopy.

Palmer's Deep Conditioning Protein Pack // cruelty free // I really thought I'd hit the jackpot with this one, then I realized I'd missed not only a milk ingredient, but a silk ingredient as well. Sigh. I noticed it IN THE SHOWER with the product ON MY HAIR, so I couldn't return it. It worked, but I won't repurchase.

Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray // cruelty free & vegan // The first time I used this spray it worked phenomenally - then I couldn't replicate that again and I felt like it didn't work. That was most likely my fault since I suck at styling hair, but I'd give this another shot after I finish up the sea salt spray I'm currently using.

Rimmel 60 Seconds Nail Polish in Out of the Blue & Captain Khaki // More nail polish that I got cheap with a coupon. More colors I don't think I ever used. They've gotten gloopy. I won't be repurchasing.

Clear Glittery Lip Gloss // I've no clue how long I've had this or where it came from. I think it was a stocking stuffer. I'm not huge into glosses and I've had this so long that it has to go.

empties lucky bandit blog katelyn carter

e.l.f. Tone Adjusting Face Primer - Neutralizing Green // cruelty free & vegan // I didn't really see how it adjusted the redness on my face and you get a surprisingly tiny amount for $6. That's what I get for not paying attention to the ounces. The packaging is a bit deceiving - the reservoir for the product is only about half the size of the bottle. It did a decent job of keeping my makeup in place as I have oily skin. I'd repurchase this as a backup or to keep in a travel bag.

empties lucky bandit blog katelyn carter

Covergirl Professional Loose Powder in Translucent Fair // I don't even know where I got this. I think it was a hand-me-down from a friend or my mom, but who knows? It's a loose powder with a pouf and BOY does it get EVERYWHERE. It wasn't a great color match and I think I lost more as it floated around my bathroom than I put on my face. I've no interest in ever owning another loose powder.

empties lucky bandit blog katelyn carter

e.l.f. 3-in-1 Mascara // cruelty free & vegan // This was a decent mascara. It didn't deliver massive volume, but it worked pretty well. My issue was with the brush. The word 'mace' popped in my head every time I went to use it. I liked layering it under other mascaras for a bit of boost and I might repurchase this in a pinch.

empties lucky bandit blog katelyn carter

e.l.f. Lengthening & Defining Mascara // cruelty free & vegan // For $1, it's not bad, but you get what you pay for. It really just made my eyelashes look like I had a smidge of mascara on. It worked great as a base coat. However, it got clumpy really quickly. You can see in the photo above how much product was left and how gunky the brush got. I don't think I'd pick this back up unless I was really needing mascara.

I hope to use up a lot of my stash in the next coming months. I've got so many new products just hanging out that I really want to use, but I've made myself continue to use up opened things before starting on those. Sometimes it's agony that I have to keep using something, but it's so satisfying when they're gone!

What have you used up lately?

Wednesday, April 06, 2016

iHerb mini haul

iherb mini haul vegan lucky bandit blog

I recently discovered iHerb and I was amazed at the massive selection! There's tons of natural, organic, cruelty free, and/or vegan items! I didn't start shopping with anything specific in mind, so I didn't order a ton of stuff. However, I did order some things I'd never heard of or had been on my list of "things to get eventually".

Source Naturals Vegan True Melatonin // I've had trouble sleeping for what seems like forever. I'm tired of taking sleep aids (which are basically Benadryl), so I'm going to give melatonin a try.

Merry Hempsters Vegan Spearmint Lip Balm // Since I announced that I've been having trouble finding vegan lip balm (I swear there isn't any in any stores near me), I've kind of gone on a lip balm buying rampage. So far, though, I really like this! It's minty but not overly so, and it soaks in well and stays put.

TheraNeem Naturals Lotion // I need more lotion like I need a hole in the head, but at $1.20 for the bottle, I couldn't help but give it a try.

If you've never tried iHerb, if you use the code TNZ430 at checkout, you'll get $5 off and I'll get $5! It's a win-win.

Monday, March 14, 2016

my first lush haul

my first lush haul lucky bandit blog

Last week I had a girls' day out with Jess and went to Lush for the first time ever! I'd been eyeing a few things on the website and picked them up while I was there. Not gonna lie - I was pretty overwhelmed by the selection and could've picked up so many things. It's so nice to walk into an entire cruelty free store with so many vegan options! Here's what I brought home:

Tea Tree Water // I've seen several reviews of this on blogs and I'm hoping this will help with my oily skin!

Superbalm Scalp Treament // This was on my beauty wishlist and I can't wait to try this out.

Sex Bomb Bath Bomb // I'm not a big bath person, I prefer to shower, but I figured I should pick up a bath bomb on my first visit, and Jess said this one was really good.

I'm definitely adding to my Lush "want" list, so hopefully these work out and I can add more to my stash!

Saturday, March 12, 2016

cruelty free & vegan beauty wishlist

CF & vegan wishlist


I want to start off this post by saying I'm still going through a lot of non-cruelty free and vegan beauty and personal care products. I used to coupon regularly a few years ago before I bought cruelty free and vegan products, so I have quite the stash. I wouldn't purchase them again, but I'm not going to waste them, either.

With that said, I'm still building up my cruelty free and vegan products. I find a lot at Marshall's and Ross, but there's some I can only find at Ulta, at stores a bit too far away to drop in regularly, and online. Here are some that I've been lusting after - and will hopefully be able to make room for in my stash soon!

Andalou Naturals Aloe & Willow Bark Pore Minimizer // I desperately need a pore minimizer. I've tried Andalou Naturals deep conditioner on my hair and I love it, so I thought I'd try more of their products. try

Pacifica Stellar Gaze Length & Strength Mineral Mascara in Supernova // I reaaaally want to try new types of vegan mascara. Pacifica's is infused with coconut oil, so it's worth a shot. try

Hurraw Coffee Bean Lip Balm // This is described as a coffee-choco flavor. That alone sold me. My local Wegman's carries Hurraw balms, but I have yet to get over there to pick some up. I've been having a hard time finding vegan lip balms, so I might place an order for some. try

Trust Fund Beauty Nail Polish in Beach Vibes // I've really been loving the greige trend and this nail polish doesn't disappoint. It's a big pricey, but I've heard good things about Trust Fund. try

Lunatick Cosmetic Labs Supernatural Palette // It's in the shape of a coffin. And it has a bat. Not only does that have me in love, but the colors are pretty and goes right along with my go-to colors. try

Lush Superbalm Scalp Treatment // I've always had a super itchy, dry scalp. Gross, I know. I've tried almost everything. Coconut oil helps, but I'd like to try more targeted treatments, and this one tops the list. try

This is just the beginning of my wishlist, but I didn't think having seventy items would be fun to read. Do you have any products you'd like to try?
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